As to the use of analog delay lines for radar sensors, one such delay line is made up of a number of discrete components. Charging times and discharging times of capacitors or coils are used in a complicated interconnection for producing the delay.
Also available is a digital delay line having a constant delay, which has drivers connected in series. Such a digital delay line may be integrated on a semiconductor or may be assembled using a plurality of integrated circuits. FIG. 1 shows such a delay line.
The delay line in FIG. 1 is made up of drivers 1, 2, 3, 4, as well as further drivers which are connected in series. Each of the drivers has a delay time of Δt. After passing through a series connection of n-drivers, a time delay of n*Δt is therefore achieved. The disadvantage here is that, because of the great number of drivers necessary, a correspondingly large silicon surface is needed. The use of such delay lines may therefore be limited to pulse radar systems for aviation and space flight, as well as military applications.